INTERESTING STORIES YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW FROM THE HOLOCAUST – Part One

By Glen Berd1 Comment
INTERESTING STORIES YOU PROBABLY DIDN'T KNOW FROM THE HOLOCAUST PART 1 The German Holocaust could be regarded as a significant or perhaps the most significant landmark of recent history. It was indeed a long extended event in its entirety. Brutal it might be in its core, yet the vast period saw some considerable stories that are very interesting to know. Now it’s pretty obvious that many of these instances might have been overlooked. The following list is an attempt to revive such lost tales and consists of 10 lesser-known yet interesting stories from the Holocaust. 1. Eugene Lazowski and Stanisław Matulewicz, a pair of Polish doctors, saved the lives of 8,000 natives of the Polish city, Rozwadow by creating a fake Typhus epidemic during the Holocaust. The Nazis quarantined the city instead of sending people to concentration camps since they feared the epidemic to break out. A glimpse into Rozwadów, Poland today. Image credit: Krzysztof Dobrzański/Wikimedia Commons via atlasobscura The very first fake typhus patient was a...
Read More

Our Hall Art

By Glen BerdNo Comments
Many of the pictures hanging on the wall of the Daniel Rose Hall have been kindly donated by members Click on the picture to enlarge. These 4 beaded plaques were created by his daughter and donated by Raymond Gordon               This tapestry was donated by Anne and Ian Glass                     This oil painting was donated by Sandra Samuels             This beautiful painting by Beverley-Jane Stewart is hanging in the Daniel Rose Hall in the shul, presented to, and kindly donated, by Marilyn Katanka, wife of the late Rabbi Katanka.     The copperplate of the young sleeping student was donated by Glenys and Spencer Berd...
Read More

2021 Simchas Torah – It Was A Blast !

By Glen Berd1 Comment
29th September in this year of Covid, lockdowns and vaccinations. It was a cold, windy and rainy day - which was surprising, as my late Mother always said the sun shines on Yom Tov when the Jews have to walk to shul. Service over and we all trooped into our lovely, newly refurbished, Daniel Rose Hall  for a fabulous luncheon  provided by the Ladies Guild and Social Circle. Usually speeches can induce stifled yawns and a sea of glazed eyes, but Neville Harris, our Chatan Torah and David Lawton, our Chatan Bereishit enthralled us with a couple of inspiring, interesting and emotional speeches, and as Simon Cowell would have said "I didn't like it - I LOVED it !"  That's 4 Yesses then ! And then ......... The news everyone was hoping for   …. The Boys are Back ! St. Anne's own geriatric heartthrob boy band, The Alte Machers, were here once again after hours of blood, sweat and tears in rehearsals, with a professional and slick...
Read More

Bereishit – Back to the beginning.

By Glen BerdNo Comments
Bereishit - Back to the beginning. Our sages observed/taught "Kol Hatchalot Kashot" - "All beginnings are hard" Starting a new project is challenging as one has to overcome the natural "psychological inertia" that we tend to feel. This is because as humans we are innately conflicted by the movement to change/be inspired/transform/build vs the emotional comfort of the status quo. On Shabbat Bereishit we are not only starting a new cycle of reading the Torah. We are also starting a new cycle and chapter in our lives which ideally is supposed to reflect true Torah values. On Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur we come up with new year resolutions. The days of awe inject us with renewed enthusiasm encapsulated in the verse "Return us O God and we will return, renew our days as of old". On Sukkot through the joyous festival and its Mitvzot we began the process of expressing our new found love of Hashem into practical life - building a sukkah and dwelling...
Read More

Simchas Torah

By Glen Berd1 Comment
Simchas Torah Simchas Torah is a day that celebrates ends and beginnings. As soon as we finish one cycle of the Torah  we begin a new cycle. Beginnings and Endings are an important theme in Judaism. The week begins afresh and culminates on Shabbat. The same can be said of the Sabbatical cycles. The beauty of Judaism is that it creates structure to our lives which otherwise could descend into a seamless flow of days. Structure imbues meaning and depth. Some people have a hard time starting things, projects, work and so on. Others have difficulty finishing things. But if we don't start something we will get nowhere and if we don't finish we will not have achieved! On Simchat Torah how many of us can truly say we completed the cycle of the Torah. The truth is that none of us can as the spiritual wisdom of the Torah is of infinite depth and therefore in essence unfinishable. But the structure of start and end is extremely important as it...
Read More

Haazinu

By Glen BerdNo Comments
Haazinu -  On the last day of Moses's life he shares with his people a 70 line song that begins with the word Haazinu. The song contains numerous themes including: 1) Jewish memory- the obligation of the Jew to remember the great miracles God wrought for the Jewish people. This memory is passed from generation to generation. Earlier in Deuteronomy the obligation to pass down our tradition was couched in terms of a parental obligation- as we recite in the Shema "and you shall teach your children to speak in 'them'" But now in Haazinu Moses empowers the new generation to ask the parents. In other words Judaism is conveyed through an intergenerational conversation. The parental generation may hold the knowledge and wisdom of the past but it is only through engagement by the younger generation that they can receive this wisdom and translate it into the new frame of reference. "Remember the days of old / Consider the years of many generations / Ask your father, and he will...
Read More

Vayelech

By Glen BerdNo Comments
Vayelech This week is known as Shabbat Shuva the Shabbat of return. It is also one of the ten days of repentance. Moses informs the people of his impending death on his 120th birthday.  Why the need to tell the Jewish people? Also Vayelech "and he went" implies Moses going to the people from tribe to tribe? But in Parshat Nitzavim all the people were gathered together why not tell them then? Rabbi Ovadiah Ben Yaacov Seforno (c.1460-1550 Italian commentator) shares a fascinating insight into the sensitivity of our greatest leader: "Moses now proceeds to comfort the people over his impending death. He does so in order that the joy over God having concluded this covenant with them should not be turned into sorrow over the prospect of his impending passing from the scene." Therefore Moses goes from tribe to tribe as this is not just a national communique but a deeply personal farewell to each and every one of his flock. Parshat Vayelech always...
Read More

“But of one thing you can be certain”

By Glen BerdNo Comments
Back in the mid nineties a Jewish advertising executive in New York came up with an idea. What if the New York Times – then considered the world's most prestigious newspaper - listed the weekly Shabbat candle lighting time each week. Sure, someone would have to pay for the space, but imagine the Jewish awareness and pride that might result from such a prominent mention of the Jewish Shabbat each week. He got in touch with a Jewish philanthropist and sold him on the idea. It cost almost two thousand dollars a week, but he did it. And for the next five years, each Friday, Jews around the world would see 'Jewish Women: Shabbat candle lighting time this Friday is ….pm. Eventually the philanthropist had to cut back on a number of his projects. And in June 1999, the little Shabbat notice and stopped appearing in the Friday Times. and from that week on it never appeared again. Except once. On January...
Read More

SHANA TOVA – A happy, healthy and peaceful Year 5782

By Glen BerdNo Comments
ED HORWICH CEO Jewish Small Communities Network  I was blown away by the response to our ONE Shabbat services this weekend for Kabbalat Shabbat and Havdalah. It truly moved me to tears of joy. Thank you to Rabbi Bergson, Elkan Levy and everyone who contributed, and thank you for the multitude of ways in which you partook in ONE Shabbat. You can share the experience and the messages, with your community and friends, through these links to the recordings on YouTube. WISHING YOU ALL  SHANA TOVA A happy, healthy and peaceful Year 5782 ONE Shabbat Message from the Chief Rabbi https://youtu.be/5J-4M6Wjd5Y Shabbat Shalom messages from the communities https://youtu.be/02DKV7VAvFo Shavua Tov & Shana Tova messages from the communities https://youtu.be/-RNTJ16DjfE Kabbalat Shabbat Service https://youtu.be/0SdmzCoUKhc Havdalah Service https://youtu.be/Sdmgx1FA0rg...
Read More